Need a hand learning the ropes? Come here and find an experienced poster to adopt you! Visit the First Stop thread for a list of all those currently involved in the mentoring process and their interests and areas.

Welcome to Tolkien Online! We know that joining a new internet community can make you feel like a hobbit facing the open road, so we�e rounded up several Striders to act as guides. We call them Adopters and have created the Adoption Forum for this purpose.

Here's how it works: each entry in this thread was posted by a different adopter or adoption team. Each post contains the adopter names, a summary of their interests and expertise, a welcome message, and a link to the adoption thread they sponsor. Please browse this thread, choose an adopter who appeals to you, and click the link. Read the opening post in the adoption thread, then post your own message.

Adoption is an informal process, intentionally so, because new board members have different needs and inclinations. You may enjoy spending some time getting to know your adopter and the others who post in the adoption thread, that's absolutely fine. Or you may only want to ask a single question and that's fine too. Adopters are committed to making their threads a warm and welcoming place where you can pose questions, ask for advice, and generally get acquainted with the site. They were chosen for their friendliness, knowledge and experience.

To paraphrase Strider, "You can do as you like about my offer: take me as a guide or not. But I may say that I know all the forums between Welcome! and The One Ring, for I have wandered them for many months. I might prove useful."/size]

[size=12]In any case, enjoy the journey!

We are not currently accepting applications for new adopters. At such time as we decide to open the floor to new people, we will post an email address to which applications can be mailed and expected requirements.

Potential adopters should have been an active member of the forums for at least six months and in good standing with the administration. A few minor warnings will not disqualify a person but a history of conflict with the staff and/or any temporary ban may preclude participation in this program.

Hello! I'm attending Western Michigan University where I'm pursuing a degree secondary English education. I also have an in-home (er, dorm room rather ) skin care and cosmetics business. I love to read- next to Tolkien, Frank Peretti is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy singing, reading, cross-stitching, star-gazing, playing tennis, acting, and playing piano. I absolutely love to meet new people, so don't be shy - drop on by!

About myself: I am a 36 year old incredilbly normal looking punk rocker who wouldn't be seen dead in anything but Black...
I live in a major city in England that has a lot of links to the US. I like going to the pub and enjoying time with my real life and online friends. I have a pronouced sense of fun that not everyone understands. I am polictically motivated but TORC (Tolkien online the one ring . com, the old name of the site) see's very little of this side of me, only when i see something that makes me mad. (Though I do subsribe to Axordils school of argument). I am involved in organiseing the British TORC gatherings that have and are going to happen, if you are a British TORCer why not come to one and I am now known as the Rock God of Torc, a name given to me by another British Torcer. My greatest interest though, is playing Drums in a local Punk Rock band, that and Guinness of course...

B25 lives in the Southwest USA and has a BA in International Relations. He has a wide variety of interests from reading and playing chess to taking martial arts and sword collecting.

Vanaladiel lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the USA. She loves poetry, reading, dancing, watching movies and crafts. She is a mother and grandmother of 2. She actively participates in many Role Playing threads, and frequents the Welcome, Events, Talk Forums, the Scriptorium, and is a member of many Alliances and Guilds. She is also looking forward to the Great Gathering in DEC 2003, in Toronto, Canada

The "Bookworms" are a highly varied group of people united by our love of books, which we have long shared in the long-running and popular Bookworms' Lounge thread in the Talk forum.
We hail from America, Asia, Europe and Australia, and among us represent many different interests and styles, and a great depth and variety of TORC experience. Although we have wide-ranging interests, spanning almost all of the forums of TORC, we work together as an adoption team.

Satch and I have each been at TORC for over a year, and after rough starts and much forum hoping, we've finally found our home and friends on TORC. We've been here long enough to see people and rules come and go, and hopefully we're up to date enough to be able to answer any questions you may have. Together we cover most of the forums, and we'll do our best to help you become comfortable and fit in

DD: I am originally from Wales but I now live in the United States. I found TORC after The Gathering in Toronto. Since then I have realised that I need no other Tolkien web site, everything I could possibly need is here on TORC; great people, fascinating
debate, news, there really is nowhere quite like it. On TORC you can normally find me in The Bird and Baby (Talk), Languages, Books, Movies and The One Ring Forum, I also lurk pretty much everywhere else.
When not TORCing (which isn't very often), I enjoy reading, writing strange parodies and my music. My other online interests are the Kingdom of Loathing and Narnia.

Rune: I'm originally from Pennsylvania, USA and, well...still am here. I don't even quite remember how I first found TORC. I think it was while randomly Googling for LotR sites after seeing FOTR in the movie theater and then reading LotR a couple of months later. I absolutly loved the books the first time I read them. Anyway, after stumbling across TORC, I am happy to say that it is my favorite Tolkien/LotR site on the Web. When I'm not glued to my computer chair, I enjoy reading, writting, drawing, and music, among other things. Here on TORC you'll mainly find me in The Bird and the Baby: Talk, The Prancing Pony, Alliances and Guilds, and Tom's House: The lighter side, but I visit and post in almost every forum on TORC.

Hello, all! I'm Bloomgirl06, otherwise known as Imbrethilien. I'm still at school, and I live in the U.S. I have no job, at the moment, but I plan on getting one soon. I know how tempting all the other Adopters look, but believe me, I'm good too! I've been a member of TORC since March 2003, and have made many friends here.

If you're just starting out in TORC, I'll tell you to be wary of some of the more heavy forums here. The Councils of Manwë, for example is much more serious, than, say, Fandom. If you have any other questions, just visit my thread, and enjoy your stay at TORC!!!

Hi! I'm luthienelflover, but I'm usually called Luthy or Luth. If you want to call me something else just ask! I answer to most anything. I've been a member of TORC for more than four years, and probably closer to five, and I think we can fairly say that I'm addicted by now! In real life, I'm a college student, majoring in Latin, though I don't yet know what I want to do once I get out. I spend most of my time here on TORC in the Bird and the Baby forum, which is for general chat. In the past I have spent many hours in Alliances and Guilds (where you can gather in threads with other people who enjoy the same things you do) and the Prancing Pony (for Role-playing). I have, however, spent time in almost all of TORC's forums and I should be able to answer questions about any of them. Feel free to ask me anything, and have a great time on TORC!

Galadriel_elanor:

Hi there everyone and welcome to our adoptions thread! My name is Galadriel_elanor (many call me G_e, GE or sometimes Butterfly) and I've been on TORC for almost 2 years. I'm currently a college student studying Animation, but I always find time in my hectic schedule to come on TORC (can anyone say addiction? ). I love art, crafts, music (I play the guitar, ukelele and piano), writing, animals and my favourite sport - archery! I spend most of my time on TORC in Guilds and Alliances, Talk, Tom's and Art, but I also visit all the other forums (even movies!) and will gladly assist you with any problem you may have. So take off your coat, pull up a chair, have a seat and stay awhile - you'll be glad you did! ((Butterfly huggles!))

We hope you enjoy your stay at the Lounge and Welcome to TORC! We'll be glad to assist you in any way we can!